Social Security survivor benefits continue after remarriage at 60? Need clarity before proposing
Been widowed for 8 years and collecting survivor benefits from my late husband who had a good earnings record. Now at 63, I've met someone special (never thought I'd say that again!) and we're talking about marriage. I've always operated under the assumption that remarrying would terminate my survivor benefits completely. However, I recently read something that suggested survivor benefits can continue if you're over 60 when you remarry? This would significantly impact our financial planning together. Can anyone confirm if this is actually true? I want to get the facts straight before we make any serious decisions. Planning to visit my local SSA office but it's been impossible to get an appointment lately.
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Zainab Yusuf
Yes, this is absolutely correct! You can remarry after age 60 and still collect survivor benefits based on your late spouse's work record. This is one of those lesser-known rules that can make a huge difference. I went through this exact situation myself last year. The Social Security representative confirmed this rule when I remarried at 62. Your survivor benefits will continue without interruption.
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Miguel Alvarez
•Oh thank you so much for confirming! That's a huge relief. Did you have to fill out any special paperwork when you remarried to ensure the benefits continued? Or did they just continue automatically?
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Connor O'Reilly
my cousin remarried at 58 and lost her benefits... wish she would've waited those extra 2 years! but yeah you should be fine since you're already 63
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Miguel Alvarez
•That's exactly what I was afraid would happen to me! So sorry about your cousin's situation. It seems like such an arbitrary cutoff at age 60.
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Yara Khoury
Are you sure about this??? I was told by my neighbor who works for the government that ALL remarriage stops survivor benefits no matter what age. Now I'm confused because I'm in a similar situation (widow for 5 years at age 62) and my boyfriend proposed last month! I've been putting off giving him an answer partly because of this issue!!!
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Zainab Yusuf
•Your neighbor is definitely incorrect. The SSA website clearly states this exception for survivors who remarry at or after age 60. Your neighbor might be confusing this with other benefits that do terminate upon remarriage regardless of age. This is why it's always best to get information directly from SSA rather than secondhand sources, even if they work for the government in some capacity.
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Keisha Taylor
I CAN'T BELIEVE HOW COMPLICATED THEY MAKE ALL THIS!!! Why should getting married even affect our benefits at all?? We worked for these benefits through our spouses. The whole system is designed to keep us confused and deny us what we deserve. Every time I call the SSA, I get a different answer depending on who answers the phone. RIDICULOUS!!
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StardustSeeker
•While I understand your frustration, this particular rule actually works in favor of older widows and widowers. The reasoning behind the age 60 exception is that historically, older individuals might avoid remarriage solely for financial reasons, and the SSA didn't want to create this disincentive for older Americans. You're right that the system is complex, but in this case, the complexity actually creates a beneficial exception.
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Paolo Marino
To add some technical clarity here: According to the Code of Federal Regulations (20 CFR § 404.335), you can receive widow/widower benefits if you remarry after you reach age 60 (or age 50 if disabled). This is accurate information directly from SSA policy. However, there is one important consideration: If you're eligible for retirement benefits on your own record, and those would be higher than your survivor benefits, SSA will pay you the higher amount. When you remarry, they might recalculate your benefits, but you won't lose survivor benefits solely because of remarriage after 60. Also, if your new spouse is receiving Social Security benefits, you might potentially qualify for spousal benefits on their record too, if that amount would be higher than either your own retirement or your current survivor benefits. SSA will always pay you the highest benefit you're entitled to receive.
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Amina Bah
•Thank you for this detailed explanation - was gonna say the same thing but you saved me the typing! One question - does this same rule apply to divorced spouse survivor benefits if the marriage lasted 10+ years? Just curious cause my friend is in that situation
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Paolo Marino
•Yes, the same rule applies to divorced spouse survivor benefits as long as the marriage lasted at least 10 years. If a divorced surviving spouse remarries after age 60 (or age 50 if disabled), they can continue receiving survivor benefits based on their ex-spouse's record. This is covered under the same regulatory provisions.
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Keisha Taylor
I tried for WEEKS to get through to SS to ask about this exact question last year when my sister was getting remarried!!! Impossible to reach anyone!!
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StardustSeeker
•I had the same problem trying to get through to SSA last month. After multiple failed attempts and hours on hold, I found a service called Claimyr that got me connected to a real SSA agent in under 10 minutes. Saved me so much frustration! They basically call SSA for you and then connect you once they get through. I watched their video demo first at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU and then used their service at claimyr.com. It was such a relief to finally talk to someone at SSA about my questions.
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Keisha Taylor
•Really?? Never heard of them but will definitely check it out next time I need to call SS. Anything to avoid those endless busy signals and dropped calls!
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Yara Khoury
I'm still a bit confused...does this apply to just widow benefits or also divorced spouse benefits? And do you need to notify SSA right away when you remarry or can you just keep collecting without telling them? Asking for a friend...
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Zainab Yusuf
•This applies to both widow/widower benefits AND divorced spouse survivor benefits (if the marriage lasted at least 10 years). And while I understand the temptation, you absolutely must report your marriage to SSA. Not reporting a marriage that could affect your benefits could be considered fraud, and SSA does periodically check marriage records. If they discover an unreported marriage, you could face penalties and have to repay benefits. Always better to be upfront with SSA about life changes.
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Connor O'Reilly
my aunt got remarried at 61 and still gets her dead husbands ss check every month so i know this is true for sure
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Miguel Alvarez
I just want to thank everyone for the helpful responses! I feel so much more confident now about our future plans. It seems like I've been operating under outdated information all this time. I'm going to go ahead and try to confirm with SSA directly, but it's such a relief to know that I won't have to choose between love and financial security at this stage of my life. Looks like I might be saying 'yes' sooner than I thought!
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Amina Bah
•Congrats on finding love again! That's the most important thing. The fact that you get to keep your benefits is just icing on the cake! ♥️
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